Container



A. J. TODD Aug. 31, 1943;

CONTAINER Filed Hay 22, 1940 Patented Aug. 3l, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER Augustine J. Todd, Washington, D. C. Application May 22, 1940, Serial No. 336,646

2 Claims.

The invention relates to containers and particularly to containers for milk or other liquids which are intended to be kept cool in a household or similar refrigerator.

The invention is applicable to containers of various materials. In its most specific aspect, however, it is particularly useful in connection with the paper containers which are now in use for holding milk, these being waterprooied by a thermoplastic material such as paraffin or the like.

Milk bottles are ordinarily delivered to an outside porch, to the corridor of an apartment or the like. The surface on which the bottle is placed is often covered with dirt of various sorts. The container, and particularly a container having a coating or impregnation of parailin or the like, naturally picks up a considerable quantity of this dirt. When the container is then placed in a refrigerator, it carries dirt to the very place which should be cleanest.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement which adequately prevents the carrying of dirt by the container into an ice box or anyotherplace which should be kept clean.

A second object of the invention is to provide a container with means secured to it and easily removable from it which will protect at least the bottom of the container from dirt, thus collecting the dirt on an easily removable piece which can be discarded and leaving the bottom of the container clean.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective arrangement of this type which covers the bottom of the bottle and at most two sides thereof, leaving at least two of the sides, preferably opposed sides, uncovered so that the bottle can be easily gripped and handled without danger of displacing the arrangement which protects the bottom thereof.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a lvery simple structure of this type in the form 'of a strip of fibrous material such as paper, cardboard or the like, which can be printed with advertising, and which is easily removed and destroyed.

A further object of the invention, particularly in connection with bottles of cardboard or paper having a thermoplastic waterproofing material, is to utilize the natural tackiness of the thermoplastic material to hold the protective piece in position on the bottle.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description, particularly when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which form a part thereof.

In the drawing: v

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section showing a cardboard bottle for milk or the like with my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a View of the protecting member of Fig. 1 separated from the bottle;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation partly in section of a modified form of the invention applicable to glass bottles;

Fig. 4 is a view of the strip of Fig. 3.

'I'he form of the invention shown in Fig. 1 is particularly applied to a square container 2. This container has side walls 4 and a bottom 6, formed of cardboard or the like, impregnated with and provided with a coating 8 of paraflin or some other plastic waterproong material. This type of container is well known and is now being used in considerable quantities for holding milk.

'Ihe container is protected by the strip shown in Fig. 2. I'his strip has two side-engaging portions IIJ connected by a bottom-engaging portion I2, and one of the side-engaging portions I0 is provided with a tab I4. 'I'he strip so constructed is placed on the bottle with the bottom portion I2 engaging the bottom 6 of the bottle and the side portions I0 extending up along the sides of the bottle. The tab I4 is left free of the bottle. By applying a slight amount of heat, not enough to affect the milk in the bottle, to the side portions IIl (and to the bottom portion I2 if desired) the parain coating 8 may be softened sufficiently to cause the strip to stick to it, but only in a light manner.

It is obvious that when the bottle 2 is set on any surface, the bottom portion I2 of the strip will protect the bottom of the bottle and will ltself collect anyy dirt. When the bottle is taken in and is to be put in the refrigerator, the tab I4 is gripped, and the strip may be easily pulled off the bottle, the slight adhesion of the paraffin being easily overcome. Ihe strip is then destroyed, and the bottom of the bottle is entirely clean. Obviously such a strip is inexpensive, and at the same time it may be provided with printing in the nature of advertising or the like.

Figs. 3 and 4 show a modification applicable to a glass bottle. The bottle I6 has the usual neck I8. A strip of cardboard is utilized having a neck-engaging portion 20 provided with a hole 22 therein large enough to t over the neck I8. The neck-engaging portion 20 is connected to a side portion 24 which in turn is connected to a bottom portion 26. 'I'he parts 20, 24 arid are separated by creases 28, the whole strip being formed of cardboard or some other relatively stii but inexpensive preferably fibrous material.

The strip is applied to the bottle in the manner shown in Fig. 3, with the hole 22 engaging over the neck of vthe bottle and the portion 26 arranged beneath'the bottom of the bottle. With such a strip, the bottle is set down by the delivery man in such a manner that the portion 26 is folded under the bottle. The portion 2B then collects any dirt on the surface on which the bottle is set, and protects the bottom of the bottle. When the bottle is taken in, the strip is removed and destroyed, while the bottle with. a clean bottom may be inserted into a refrigerator. Obviously the side portion 2li particularly furnishes space for printing such as advertising.

While I have described herein some embodi-` ments of my invention I wish it to be understood litt that I do not intend to be limited thereby except asaaeev f prising a strip of fibrous material having a portion extending across the bottom of the container and portions extending upwardly along th'e side walls thereof, said upwardly extending portions being adhesively secured to the walls of the containerby said thermoplastic material, said strip leaving the other two Walls of the container free, and a tab on one of said upwardly extending portions unconnected to the wall of the container to be gripped by the ngers for easy removal ofthe strip from the container.

2. In combination with a container having a coating lof a thermoplastic waterproong material on the outside thereof, means to protect the bottom of said container against dirt comprising a strip of fibrous sheet material having a portion extending across the bottom of the container and portions extending upwardly along certain of the side walls` thereof, said upwardly extending portions beingadhesively secured to the walls of the container by said thermoplastic material, and a tab on one of said upwardly extending portions unconnected to the wall of the container to be gripped by the ngers for easy removal of the strip from the container.

AUGUSTINE J. TODD. 

